Fatigue

[mcewan12345]

I suffer from fatigue do any other itp sufferers have this symptom and if so any advice on how to combat, some days at work are very hard to endure, my platelet count has been around 40 for over a year I have no bleeds and dont take any medication,

[Lynwoodley]

Hi my count is also 40 at the moment. I am the same when it goes down to 40 I used to get very tired. I am taking a multi vitamin, omega 3 fish oil, folic acid, aloe Vera and papaya extract tablets and this does seem to have helped a bit.

[mcewan12345 in reply to Lynwoodley]

Hi thanks for your reply papaya does seem to work for some will give it a go, do you take any medication? or like me are you monitored at hospital I have been in the 40's for over a year i am 53 and after a bout of illness my doc discovered my low platelets after tests for everything was diagnosed with itp, what happened to you?

[Lynwoodley in reply to mcewan12345]

Hi I found out 7 months ago as I was feeling very tired and had a lot of nasty bruises so I was sent for a blood test and was diagnosed with ITP. My count started at 33 went up gradually to 106 but averaged at 52 but has dropped to 40 again last week. I have not had any medication I am just being monitored. I am 58.

[Pollyangel]

Hi...

Same here... once my count is a steady number over 40 my fatigue disapears.

[Kwenda]

Sadly fatigue is well reported by the patients but the doctors often dismiss this as not relevant..

Fatigue is commonly seen with very low platelets or with any of the leukaemias, so make sure that the diagnosis is fully correct and if in any doubt check with another specialist.

If the diagnosis is proved correct then you might check for B12 levels and also vitamin D levels, both of these can cause problems

[LifeafterITP]

I read a study that said about 20 to 30% of ITP sufferers reported fatigue but it did not clarify that the ITP was the cause of the fatigue. My platelet count has stabilised at about 80 or 90 due to the Eltrombopag I am on but it's been as low as 2 and high as 400. When I originally went to my doctor with gum bleeds and bruises I felt 100% ok, I have never felt fatigue or any ill health since being diagnosed with ITP.

[sailor]

Fatigue has been well reported in the ITP Support Association following a research project commissioned by them with by Newcastle University. This research has been reported both in the UK and also in the USA. It does however not affect everybody even with low platelets counts of around 10. Everybody reacts differently and must find their own way of dealing with this, but all advice should must be very welcome. I find a power nap of around 20 mins after lunch works wonders coupled with a good healthy diet and supplement vitamins.

All reports above are very good and true.

[virginiabranscom]

Fatigue with my ITP is a daily factor I have to deal with. It's not like being tired. I have Nplate injections every week, keeping counts between 20 and 60, unless I get sick. I can pretty much predict what my labs will be, depending on the degree of fatigue.

[mcewan12345 in reply to virginiabranscom]

Hi thanks for your reply what is Nplate injections?

[virginiabranscom in reply to mcewan12345]

Nplate increases the number of platelets produced in bone marrow. For most people this is temporary, and must be repeated weekly. For great information about all kinds of treatment, see pdsa.org

[Fiddlersas]

I haven't figured out dealing with fatigue either. My platelets are bumping along the bottom between 20 and 4, and most days I can do one or 2 things then I'm done. I read that fatigue has just been accepted by the medical profession as an official part of ITP. Sucks doesn't it!

[mcewan12345 in reply to Fiddlersas]

Hi thanks for your reply your fatigue sounds terrible I am usually okay till mid afternoon then the fatigue sets in and yes it sucks!

[dede7 in reply to Fiddlersas]

I experience consistently and my platelets hover about 110

[Sarah-Ambam]

Hi, I have suffered from ITP for 26 years and initially my platelet count was 7. Over the years it has relapsed on occasion. I know through the fatigue alone that my platelets have dipped below 40. Any doctor who tell you it's not a symptom is wrong. It IS for some and only serves to make ITP sufferers feel worse if they feel they're making it up. I know my body and the Effect ITP has on it better than any stranger. Try and keep stress levels down as much as possible. I take 1000mg of vitamin C a day which seems to help, although this helps fight colds etc as I don't have a spleen, I think it helps the platelets keep up too. Good luck and take care. Xxx

[dede7 in reply to Sarah-Ambam]

Yes I feel like others do not understand about fatigue - like it is in my head -it is just a nagging symptom that noatyer what won't get better

[SoporRose]

I also suffer from fatigue despite steady counts for the last few years of around 100k. This fatigue started when I had the Rituxan infusions that have, for now, stabilized my b=counts, and it never went away. I know have a complementary diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic encephalomyelitis. The diagnosis is all I got. None of the doctors around here seem to have any ideas about ameliorating the constant exhaustion. I'd be infuriated, if I had the energy.

[dede7 in reply to SoporRose]

I can totally relate -constant fatigue -my count normally is about 100

[PKScott]

There have been several studies that confirm people with ITP often struggle with Fatigue

PDSA pdsa.org/about-itp/living-w...

1. "How Inflammatory Disease Cause Fatigue." Medical News Today. 19 Feb 2009. medicalnewstoday.com/printe...

2. Newton JL et al. “Fatigue in adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia.” Eur J Haematol. 2011 May;86(5):420-9. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/213...

3. Blatt J et al. “Fatigue as marker of thrombocytopenia in childhood idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.” Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2010 Feb;27(1):65-7. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/201...

[Suntied]

Fatigue for me when taking Nplate lasts 3 days .then feel better till next shot. Have had ITP for 10 mo the Dr said could go away in year or could be ongoing. Shots are lasting five weeks now which helps. Numbers are normal during those weeks but then drops to 50000 so n etines lower.

[Darby17]

I finished my 4 treatments of Rituxan in Dec. The last count was 109 which was better than the usual 40-50. I wake up in the morning tired, but once I get moving I'm not as tired until around noon. Is this caused by ITP?